Dobson: GOP misled me on Paul

Christian conservative leader James Dobson withdrew his endorsement of Kentucky Senate candidate Trey Grayson Monday, switching his support to Rand Paul’s campaign and accusing “senior members of the GOP” of misleading him about Paul’s record on abortion.

Dobson said in an audio recording that he made an “embarrassing mistake” as a result of misunderstanding Paul’s position on abortion.

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“I was given misleading information about the candidacy of Dr. Rand Paul, who is running in the Republican Primary for the U.S. Senate. Senior members of the GOP told me Dr. Paul is pro-choice and that he opposes many conservative perspectives, so I endorsed his opponent,” Dobson explained. “But now I've received further information from OB/GYNs in Kentucky whom I trust, and from interviewing the candidate himself.”

Dobson’s reversal is an embarrassment for Grayson’s campaign, which touted the religious leader’s support last week and had planned to highlight an endorsement from Republican Rep. Hal Rogers Monday. Grayson, who serves as Kentucky’s secretary of state, has struggled in the polls against Paul, an ophthalmologist, with the primary just weeks away.

Now, Paul's campaign is featuring Dobson's support in a wave of radio ads across the state, on news and Christian radio stations. The campaign is also planning to put up a television spot with Dobson's endorsement starting Tuesday.

Paul spokesman David Adams said that Dobson’s change of heart came after the insurgent conservative’s campaign introduced him to social conservatives who had rallied behind Paul.

“We have made a lot of friends over the course of the campaign who know Rand,” Adams said. “We were able to, when the initial statement came out from Dr. Dobson, get those friends to him and help him understand what the truth was, that he was being misled.”

Kentucky Right to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion organization, has endorsed Grayson in the primary